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Irish Famine #1
The Killing Snows
'The Killing Snows' is fiction. The story that inspired it was not. In 1990, a box of very old documents was found on a small farm in the west of Ireland. They had been stored for well over a hundred years and told an incredible story of suffering, of love and of courage. In 1846, a young couple met during the worst days of the Great Irish Famine. The Killing Snows is a way to imagine what led to their meeting and what followed from it. It is the first book in The Killing Snows trilogy.
418 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 15, 2018
5 stars
A box of old documents was found. They are over 100 years old and so begins our tale.
It’s the 1840’s in Ireland during the height of the potato famines. Thousands are out of work and many find work on a government scheme to build roads. They only get paid a pittance; certainly not enough to feed their families. It is also the worst and coldest winter on record. People are also freezing to death and dying of hunger.
This is a remarkable book that is based on the author’s own family. I wondered as I was reading it if the novel was as painful to write as it was to read. It was heartrending and at times I had to put it down for a bit. Mr. Egan used wonderful language to describe the conditions in 1840's Galway. He paints very vivid pictures of the people and the landscape. While I have had experience of living in a very cold environment (and hating every freezing second of it), I have not had to wear rags on my feet to work outside. While I have had minor frostbite, I have not had my limbs turn black. I have not starved. I knew about the famine, but in a more abstract way. I am not Irish, so had no relatives that suffered through that period of time in history. My heart goes out to those people.
This is such a sad tale and it will stay with me for a very long time.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for forwarding to me a copy of this most enlightening and painful book for me to read and review.
A box of old documents was found. They are over 100 years old and so begins our tale.
It’s the 1840’s in Ireland during the height of the potato famines. Thousands are out of work and many find work on a government scheme to build roads. They only get paid a pittance; certainly not enough to feed their families. It is also the worst and coldest winter on record. People are also freezing to death and dying of hunger.
This is a remarkable book that is based on the author’s own family. I wondered as I was reading it if the novel was as painful to write as it was to read. It was heartrending and at times I had to put it down for a bit. Mr. Egan used wonderful language to describe the conditions in 1840's Galway. He paints very vivid pictures of the people and the landscape. While I have had experience of living in a very cold environment (and hating every freezing second of it), I have not had to wear rags on my feet to work outside. While I have had minor frostbite, I have not had my limbs turn black. I have not starved. I knew about the famine, but in a more abstract way. I am not Irish, so had no relatives that suffered through that period of time in history. My heart goes out to those people.
This is such a sad tale and it will stay with me for a very long time.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for forwarding to me a copy of this most enlightening and painful book for me to read and review.
March 20, 2017
I started reading this book as a brief interlude from tasks. Hours later I finished the book having been completely absorbed by it.
While this novel is fictional it is based on events typical of the Famine in which much of the west of Ireland lost 50% or more of every townland, some from Emigration but many more from starvation and the diseases that are associated with it. The horrors of evictions, the deaths, the end of traditions around dying, children protecting their dead parents' bodies, the inadequacies of the workhouses even when their numbers were doubled.
The misery of expecting starving people to work for the most basic of money even unto death. The conflict when some members of a community were stronger or "richer" or had government jobs on the relief. The absolute commitment of many priests (not all) who worked tirelessly to administer sacraments to the sick, dying, and dead. The efforts (however contentious) of the Quakers with the Soup Kitchens.
Even though I've read a lot of academic books about the Famine, this novel brought the human nuances to the fore. If there was one thing that was a bit too good to be true, it was the general lack of conflict within the pivotal family.
Sadly, despite being taught in a school with Irish nuns, I had never been taught anything about the Famine and only learned of it as a genealogist.
Available as an ebook it's a readily accessible book to read.
While this novel is fictional it is based on events typical of the Famine in which much of the west of Ireland lost 50% or more of every townland, some from Emigration but many more from starvation and the diseases that are associated with it. The horrors of evictions, the deaths, the end of traditions around dying, children protecting their dead parents' bodies, the inadequacies of the workhouses even when their numbers were doubled.
The misery of expecting starving people to work for the most basic of money even unto death. The conflict when some members of a community were stronger or "richer" or had government jobs on the relief. The absolute commitment of many priests (not all) who worked tirelessly to administer sacraments to the sick, dying, and dead. The efforts (however contentious) of the Quakers with the Soup Kitchens.
Even though I've read a lot of academic books about the Famine, this novel brought the human nuances to the fore. If there was one thing that was a bit too good to be true, it was the general lack of conflict within the pivotal family.
Sadly, despite being taught in a school with Irish nuns, I had never been taught anything about the Famine and only learned of it as a genealogist.
Available as an ebook it's a readily accessible book to read.
June 13, 2018
3 1/2 stars. For me this book was ok. It didn’t hold my interest and repeated chapter after chapter the same things. It felt more like someone telling me about the hunger that was experienced during this time period in Ireland rather than the author actually making me feel the hunger the people were going through. Does that make sense? Instead of the author repeatedly writing “they were starving, they were hungry, there was death” make me feel through your writing the emotion of how it was during that time. There were interesting things that I did learn while reading this book, such as the relief works through the government, the road building and soup kitchens but the general storyline was just ok.
December 12, 2015
Although this book is fiction it feels very, very real and is a harrowing tale. Of course we have all heard about the potato famine in Ireland in 1846/47 but I had no idea at all of the extent of the suffering. Without wanting to spoil this story for anyone I will just say it is a must read for those who want to know what the devastation was like.
It is 170 years since these awful times, most of us will have seen famine in African countries like Biafra and been horrified without realising much worse happened closer to home.
Read this and store the knowledge of how easily disaster happened with a failure of agriculture. Mother Nature can wreak havock to spin comfortable lives out of control, for example - the present day flooding.
I sincerely hope Charles Egan is now writing the sequel because this novel makes the characters real and any reader will care what happens to them in the years to follow.
It is 170 years since these awful times, most of us will have seen famine in African countries like Biafra and been horrified without realising much worse happened closer to home.
Read this and store the knowledge of how easily disaster happened with a failure of agriculture. Mother Nature can wreak havock to spin comfortable lives out of control, for example - the present day flooding.
I sincerely hope Charles Egan is now writing the sequel because this novel makes the characters real and any reader will care what happens to them in the years to follow.
January 19, 2018
Brilliant just brilliant.
I loved reading about the potato famine and the characters were likable. It's so sad that so many people suffered and died
This is history we must not forget
I loved reading about the potato famine and the characters were likable. It's so sad that so many people suffered and died
This is history we must not forget
January 5, 2022
Just OK
I really wanted to like this book as the description sounded so very interesting and on a subject matter I knew little about. There were several reasons for me. First were the characters - far too many and two dimensional. I really couldn't connect with any of them - even the main character. Second the story was very repetitive. An event would happen and then would be repeated in full detail, via a discussion with other characters and then again with other characters! I love a book with a lot of dialogue but this was too much. Thirdly, the story was too long and there are two other books in the series. It just wasn't good enough to make me want to find out what happens.
I really wanted to like this book as the description sounded so very interesting and on a subject matter I knew little about. There were several reasons for me. First were the characters - far too many and two dimensional. I really couldn't connect with any of them - even the main character. Second the story was very repetitive. An event would happen and then would be repeated in full detail, via a discussion with other characters and then again with other characters! I love a book with a lot of dialogue but this was too much. Thirdly, the story was too long and there are two other books in the series. It just wasn't good enough to make me want to find out what happens.
January 28, 2016
This novel stands comfortably alongside other major works on the Great Famine like Liam O'Flaherty's Famine or Joseph O'Connor's The Star of the Sea. What sets Egan's work apart from the vast amount of historical romances is not just his deep understanding of the traumatic nature of the events, but also his differentiated portrayal of the time.
February 1, 2019
If you ever wanted to learn about the Irish Potato Famine then this is the book for you. It is the first in a trilogy, and even though it is some of the hardest reading I've ever done I do believe I will continue with the next book, "The Exile Breed". I say "hardest" because of the absolute unforgiving details entailed with what comes from famine, fever and desperation on hundreds of thousands of people. This would be a good book for today's "snowflake" generation to read - faced with starvation and death from typhus I'd think "offending anyone or being offended" would be taken off the top 10 things to be concerned with in present day society.
February 9, 2019
DNF
I chose this book specifically because of the setting. I wanted to know more about the time and place and people of the Irish Famine.
So I give the book two stars because it was looking to address the importance of remembering that time.
The remarkable thing about it was that it managed to describe such a time of utter horror and tragedy in such a drab way. The characters were two dimensional and the writing pedestrian. I did learn about the period and would have probably learned more if I’d struggled through to the end but at 60% of the way through I packed it in. It was, bizarrely, boring.
I chose this book specifically because of the setting. I wanted to know more about the time and place and people of the Irish Famine.
So I give the book two stars because it was looking to address the importance of remembering that time.
The remarkable thing about it was that it managed to describe such a time of utter horror and tragedy in such a drab way. The characters were two dimensional and the writing pedestrian. I did learn about the period and would have probably learned more if I’d struggled through to the end but at 60% of the way through I packed it in. It was, bizarrely, boring.
March 6, 2020
This is such a depressing story, but it's one based on what it was like during the Irish potato famine and black fever (typhoid) epidemic that led to the emigration of so many of our ancestors from Ireland. I learned so much about how the government and country dealt with these catastrophic events and some of the issues that resulted. The author paints quite a vivid picture. I now have a much clearer understanding of why so many people would leave their country and their homes to come to America. This is the first of a trilogy.
September 10, 2019
Well it looks like I feel differently about this book than many Good Reads reviewers! A fictional story based on the Irish potato famine. It was sad and disturbing to read about the difficult conditions that the Irish lived under during this time. And difficult to read about the thousands of deaths from hunger or fever but somehow I found it to be very repetitive, more and more of the same. I nearly abandoned this book but decided to carry on with it. Unfortunately I didn’t feel any better about it when I reached the end. There wasn't really a story anywhere in here, just more people dying and more who didn't know what to do about it. I truly enjoy books with a link to history but The Killing Snows didn't do it for me!
February 5, 2021
I started this book June 2020 and just finished today feb 2021....after doing my dna found I have a strong connection to Ireland .....so when I saw this 3 part series I was intrigued....even thou fiction to a point ..there are many historical facts that are true....to have lived in that time era must have been horrible...the death from famine and fever was unreal...this book can be graphic but there’s no way to sugar coat what these families faced....I could picture the characters and could feel there pain....there lives were not easy ....I highly recommend .can’t wait to start second book in this series
August 22, 2018
A tough read. Probably true to the facts because of the documents that were found. I appreciated the quoted documents at the beginning of each chapter. Similar to "The Great Hunger". I am now reading the second of three.
January 17, 2018
Ireland
Stories of the famine years are so terrible ,but I have never seen it spelt out as in this book ! I am going to continue with the next book ! Fantastic read !!!
Stories of the famine years are so terrible ,but I have never seen it spelt out as in this book ! I am going to continue with the next book ! Fantastic read !!!
September 22, 2024
Harrowing story, with characters just strong enough to develop an engaging narrative without losing focus on the famine. Completely plausible as descriptive social history. Will read the trilogy.
July 11, 2020
A memorable and unique novel
I chose this because I like historical fiction but it is not the sort of novel I usually read...
It is written in what I would call a very matter of fact style with none of the poetic, lyrical language that often characterises historical novels. I actually sat up and noticed when I found one sentence that was almost poetically descriptive.
At several points, I found myself wondering why I was reading it.
It is not for the faint hearted with its descriptions of hunger, famine, injustice and death.
Dialogue occupies a lot of the novel and again this is more so than in many novels I usually read.
Despite the above, I found it compelling reading and it didn't drag.
I read it to see how the characters managed their difficult situations.
I found it easy to imagine the family gatherings and the conversations even though it was hard to imagine the horrific context in which they were set.
Reading it during the Covid 19 pandemic maybe allowed me to draw hope from the resourcefulness and resilience demonstrated by the characters in their situation, while also empathising with the way that their choices were influenced by the actions and views of others as well as the crisis they found themselves in.
The consequences of choices made by the main characters and the effect on their mental health are well illustrated.
I found the ending somewhat abrupt or hurried but appropriate in thought and language.
It is definitely worth more than 3 stars, so it had to be 4.
I chose this because I like historical fiction but it is not the sort of novel I usually read...
It is written in what I would call a very matter of fact style with none of the poetic, lyrical language that often characterises historical novels. I actually sat up and noticed when I found one sentence that was almost poetically descriptive.
At several points, I found myself wondering why I was reading it.
It is not for the faint hearted with its descriptions of hunger, famine, injustice and death.
Dialogue occupies a lot of the novel and again this is more so than in many novels I usually read.
Despite the above, I found it compelling reading and it didn't drag.
I read it to see how the characters managed their difficult situations.
I found it easy to imagine the family gatherings and the conversations even though it was hard to imagine the horrific context in which they were set.
Reading it during the Covid 19 pandemic maybe allowed me to draw hope from the resourcefulness and resilience demonstrated by the characters in their situation, while also empathising with the way that their choices were influenced by the actions and views of others as well as the crisis they found themselves in.
The consequences of choices made by the main characters and the effect on their mental health are well illustrated.
I found the ending somewhat abrupt or hurried but appropriate in thought and language.
It is definitely worth more than 3 stars, so it had to be 4.
April 8, 2021
Read Wikipedia in preference. I gave this 2 stars rather than 1 because it was a brave subject to tackle. This is a vital piece of Irish and British history, with which we should all be familiar, and the idea of learning about it through the eyes of an individual/family seemed an excellent entry.
But the principal characters were one-dimensional, the non-principals were consistently silent, the background and context were not explained, and the writing was pedestrian.
The worst example of the latter was the repeated device in which an event was first described as it happened, then repeated as it was recounted to another character, then again to a third, without added detail or dimension in any re-telling.
Essential information was missing, such as the role of absentee landlords, the Tory/Whig UK Government policies, the thinking behind road building and relief, the fact that Irish food exports were greater than imports during the period, etc. Some of this was implied, but all we had was the monocular view of the main character.
As the book neared its end, I began to realise that many of the story threads that were being set up would not reach conclusion by the end of the book. This turns out to be a 3-volume story, but there's no way I'm going to read any more - I've wasted enough time with this one already. Sorry.
I learned a lot more about the famine subsequently, with a lot more emotional detail and context, from Wikipedia, and recommend that, rather then this book. At least this book pointed me in that direction.
But the principal characters were one-dimensional, the non-principals were consistently silent, the background and context were not explained, and the writing was pedestrian.
The worst example of the latter was the repeated device in which an event was first described as it happened, then repeated as it was recounted to another character, then again to a third, without added detail or dimension in any re-telling.
Essential information was missing, such as the role of absentee landlords, the Tory/Whig UK Government policies, the thinking behind road building and relief, the fact that Irish food exports were greater than imports during the period, etc. Some of this was implied, but all we had was the monocular view of the main character.
As the book neared its end, I began to realise that many of the story threads that were being set up would not reach conclusion by the end of the book. This turns out to be a 3-volume story, but there's no way I'm going to read any more - I've wasted enough time with this one already. Sorry.
I learned a lot more about the famine subsequently, with a lot more emotional detail and context, from Wikipedia, and recommend that, rather then this book. At least this book pointed me in that direction.
June 4, 2021
As a history, it was a bit sketchy on details, but I did learn a little about the potato famines in Ireland.
As a fictional history based on actual events, it didn’t do quite as well. It read too much like a historical recitation than a story about people and their experiences living through the period.
The potato crop failed. People went hungry.
The winter was brutal. People froze.
Typhus raged through the population. More people died.
The government tried work-fare programs. They didn’t work.
The government tried welfare programs. They didn’t work.
The MC worked for the government. His neighbors distrusted him.
He became depressed about being disliked. He became depressed about seeing starving people. He became depressed seeing dead people.
This cycle repeated about three times in the book before the MC finally threw in the towel and left for the New World to start a new life. He’s supposed to bring his family over when he can. Honestly, I’ve lost interest and doubt I’ll follow up with the other books in the series.
At least I learned the crop failure was due to wetter, warmer weather creating a perfect environment for the fungus responsible. So, reading this was not a total loss.
As a fictional history based on actual events, it didn’t do quite as well. It read too much like a historical recitation than a story about people and their experiences living through the period.
The potato crop failed. People went hungry.
The winter was brutal. People froze.
Typhus raged through the population. More people died.
The government tried work-fare programs. They didn’t work.
The government tried welfare programs. They didn’t work.
The MC worked for the government. His neighbors distrusted him.
He became depressed about being disliked. He became depressed about seeing starving people. He became depressed seeing dead people.
This cycle repeated about three times in the book before the MC finally threw in the towel and left for the New World to start a new life. He’s supposed to bring his family over when he can. Honestly, I’ve lost interest and doubt I’ll follow up with the other books in the series.
At least I learned the crop failure was due to wetter, warmer weather creating a perfect environment for the fungus responsible. So, reading this was not a total loss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2018
This book is advertised as a 'story that needs to be told', and I fully agree with that. The history of Ireland is both intruiging and horrendous. Having a much bigger and abusive neighbour can result in problematic times. Sometimes it even creates famine and death. Sadly the story of Ireland is quite often brushed over or ignored, hence my agreement that the story needs to be told. However the way it is told didn't do it for me....
Rather than boring everyone with an explanation of personal taste, because that is clearly why the book didn't become one of my favourites, I would advice to ignore my opinion.
If you like Ireland read the book. If you want to learn more about some dark pages in European history read it. If you have an interest in how disunited the British isles are in all their unstable glory read it. If you want to read a story about proper misery go for it.
Rather than boring everyone with an explanation of personal taste, because that is clearly why the book didn't become one of my favourites, I would advice to ignore my opinion.
If you like Ireland read the book. If you want to learn more about some dark pages in European history read it. If you have an interest in how disunited the British isles are in all their unstable glory read it. If you want to read a story about proper misery go for it.
April 30, 2024
One of my great grandmothers was Irish, and for some reason, Irish history has always fascinated me. If you would like some background on the bitter enmity between Ireland and England, this book is a good place to start. If you want something that will bring to life the evils of colonialism and how the colonies are bankrupted, this book will fill that role as well. The horrors of what famine does to a society, and how it lays the foundation for plagues of disease, is a central theme of the book. Some of the best historical fiction I have read. Strongly recommended with 5 🌟 stars. Not for the faint of heart!0
March 6, 2018
The book started off a little rough for me because of all the short, choppy sentences, but the story captured me right from the beginning. I've read a lot about the Famine but this story will haunt me. The author gave us a close-up look at all the suffering as a result of the Hunger. Sad, so very sad. For those of us with Irish Famine ancestors, it is heart-wrenching.
May 23, 2024
The fact that I found this book totally horrifying is a combination of the facts it is based on and the story spun around those facts by the author. The potato failure, the Hunger, the Black Fever, the Blizzard of 1847: how did Ireland and the Irish people ever survive??
Now I have to read a few non-fiction books on this topic.
Now I have to read a few non-fiction books on this topic.
January 19, 2022
Great Historical Fiction
I appreciate the way Charles Egan tells the story of the Irish Famine through the eyes of many. Egan clearly relates that the lack of responsibility taken by the British government not only enabled starvation but also dehumanized Ireland’s citizens.
I appreciate the way Charles Egan tells the story of the Irish Famine through the eyes of many. Egan clearly relates that the lack of responsibility taken by the British government not only enabled starvation but also dehumanized Ireland’s citizens.
April 1, 2019
Incredible
I highly recommend The Killing Snows to anyone interested in history, esp. the history of Ireland. I will definitely read more books by Charles Egan.
I highly recommend The Killing Snows to anyone interested in history, esp. the history of Ireland. I will definitely read more books by Charles Egan.
June 15, 2020
A well written but harrowing story based on papers found in a farm in Mayo, first of a trilogy, about a family during the Potato Famine. I now need a lighter read before embarking on book 2.
October 5, 2020
I waited six months to get this book from the library only to be extremely disappointed. It had been billed to be great. 😥 Charles Egan lacks the Irish gift for words.
February 14, 2023
Worth reading
An amazing book that describes the horrors of the 1840s in Ireland. Characters are so real. Well written to bring out the struggles through desperate times.
An amazing book that describes the horrors of the 1840s in Ireland. Characters are so real. Well written to bring out the struggles through desperate times.
March 27, 2024
It was a good book, historical. I read it specifically during March, because.... Ireland ☘️. I enjoyed it. Not a page turner or anything just a good story, a way to understand and learn some history.
September 2, 2024
Famine and fever
A shocking look into the horrific years of the famine and fever. A hard read but to understand a people you have to know their history!
A shocking look into the horrific years of the famine and fever. A hard read but to understand a people you have to know their history!
October 25, 2025
Read to better understand the lives of my 3rd Great Grandparents, who moved to Liverpool from Ireland in The Famine 🌹
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews